Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover eBook

And a number of people who were working in the fields
ran out to see what had happened, and you may be sure
that they were surprised to see these strange dolls.
And they spoke a strange language which neither Kernel
Cob nor Sweetclover could make out.

“I wonder where we are,” said Sweetclover,
“and who these people can be?”

“They’re very funny,” laughed Kernel
Cob, “I never saw shoes like those before.
They look like boats.”

“They’re made of wood,” said Sweetclover.

And just then a little Dutch girl—­for you
have guessed that they were in Holland—­came
over and picked them up and carried them off into her
house.

And little Antje, for that was her name, played with
them all day, and, when night was come, she put them
to sleep in a chair before the fireplace where it
was nice and warm and cosy.

And, in the middle of the night, a cricket came out
on the hearth stone and began to chirp.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp,” sang the cricket,
and Kernel Cob woke up and rubbed his eyes and listened.

“Hello, Mister Cricket,” shouted Kernel
Cob peering over the side of the chair.

And the Cricket hopped over to where Kernel Cob was
lying.

“Who are you?” he chirped.

“I’m Kernel Cob. And Sweetclover
and I are looking for Jackie and Peggs’ motheranfather,”
said Kernel Cob, “Have you seen them?”

“I’ll send a chirp to all the crickets
in this house and garden, and they’ll send a
chirp to all the crickets in the next house and garden,
and so on, and so on, and so on, all through this country,
and in a little while I’ll be able to tell you
if they’re here or not.”

“How’ll you ever get the message back?”
asked Sweetclover.

“I’m the King of all the Crickets,”
chirped he, “and when I give an order you may
be assured that it will be obeyed,” and he stretched
himself with so much pride that you could have heard
his jacket crackle.

“I’m sure you are very kind,” said
Sweetclover, “and Kernel Cob and I are very
much obliged to you,” and she said this so very
sweetly and so prettily that the Cricket lost no time
in sending the message.

“Crick-a-crick-a-crick,” he chirped, and
it sounded just like a telegraph instrument.
“Crick-a-crick-a-crick. There,” he
chirped, “I’ve told them to make a search
and we’ll soon have an answer.”

And while they waited, the cricket told them of the
strange country they were in and all about the canals
and the windmills and the skating in the winter and
the curious wooden shoes that the people wore.
And when he had done, Kernel Cob and Sweetclover told
him about Jackie and Peggs, their wonderful visit
to the Moon, and how they came down in the field and
were picked up by little Antje.